Dragons claim Tigers' scalp

St George Illawarra consolidated its position on top of the ladder with a 34-10 victory against West Tigers at Kogarah Jubilee Oval on Friday night.

The Dragons led 14-4 at half-time before the Tigers edged closer on the scoreboard early in the second term when Lote Tuqiri scored after finishing off a superb attacking movement.

Benji Marshall added the extras to close the gap to just four points, however the Dragons put themselves well clear with converted tries to Ben Creagh, Jamie Soward and Brett Morris, in addition to a Soward penalty goal.

While the scoreline suggested a comfortable victory, Morris felt otherwise.

"It was probably the hardest game we've had all year," he told Grandstand.

"We knew the Tigers were going to show up tonight and it was going to be a really tough game and we just grinded them out in the first half and got a bit of joy at the back of the half.

"We knew if we could keep with them and grind it out in the first part of the second half then we could probably skip away."

Morris says much praise has to be given to the Dragons' defensive performance, especially when protecting their own line.

"Our attack is pretty good, but as you saw with our on-line defence just how good it is," he said.

"All the forwards really stepped up on the tryline there."

The Dragons will no doubt be pleased to bank another two points, but prop Michael Weyman is almost certain to be rubbed out of Origin III courtesy of a dangerous tackle.

Soward did his best to play himself into a sky blue jumper with a brilliant display, but Weyman's chances of playing in the Origin dead rubber appear over after he was put on report for an ugly lifting tackle on Tigers full-back Wade McKinnon.

It may not have had the venom of Luke O'Donnell's piledriver on Darius Boyd in Origin II, but there is little doubt it was just as dangerous with Weyman sure to be eyeing a long stint on the sidelines.

The Dragons sensed they were in for a tough night when they opted for the penalty goal after 17 minutes, which became 8-0 lead when Boyd finally broke his 2010 duck.

He scythed through a poor Marshall tackle for just his second try for the Dragons.

McKinnon looked set to reply but served only to set himself up for a week of ribbing from team-mates when his 70-metre run was terminated by a chasing Creagh.

Lawrence, though, saved his team-mate's blushes with a brilliant put-down in the corner to halve the lead.

If Marshall's miss in the lead-up to Boyd's try was bad it had nothing on his gaffe just before the half-time break - an innocuous forward pass on halfway presenting the Dragons with an opportunity for Ben Hornby to set up Kyle Stanley's fifth try from as many top grade matches.

The late letdown no doubt added fuel to coach Tim Sheens fiery half-time address, as the Tigers returned to play like a team that had just been given a rev-up when Marshall and Lawrence combined to put Tuqiri away for his ninth try of the year from inside their own half.

The methodical Dragons hit back in clinical fashion when Morris touched back a Soward bomb for Creagh to put the Dragons up by two converted tries.

Soward beat four defenders to kick-start early celebrations with Morris grabbing his customary four-pointer as full-time sounded.